Security tightens at hotel

Following the rape of a woman at the Sheraton University City, both the Penn Police Department and the hotel are taking steps to boost security and help the community deal with the crime.

A 21-year-old woman, who is enrolled in Penn's English Language Program, was raped at gunpoint in her room at the hotel Sunday night by a man she did not know, according to police. She was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania shortly after the attack, but police officials said she did not sustain physical injury.

"We have stepped up security quite a bit," Hotel Manager Phil Hogan said. "Our people are all over the hotel, walking around and checking all the floors."

In addition to hotel security, several Penn Police officers have been dispatched to the hotel to make frequent rounds through the floors and perform special checks on student rooms.

Officials believe the assailant was either a guest at the hotel, located at 3549 Chestnut Street, or visiting a guest, University Police Chief Tom Rambo said.

Prior to the incident, all individuals visiting hotel guests had to register at the front desk in the lobby. However, visitors and guests were not required to sign in each time they returned to the hotel. Since the incident, hotel employees have been asked to be much stricter about who goes onto the hotel's upper floors.

Though the investigation is continuing, Penn Police have no new leads about the suspect's identity or whereabouts.

"We're running down every lead we have," Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said. "Everyone in the department is obviously looking at everything we can examine to hopefully come up" with something.

The suspect has been described as a black male of medium complexion with a thin beard, between 20 and 25 years old, of thin build and roughly 5-feet-9-inches to 5-feet-10-inches in height.

He was last seen wearing a black ski cap, black-hooded sweatshirt, a black jacket with white markings, dark blue jeans and yellow boots.

Over the past several days, Special Services and the Penn Women's Center have been assisting the rape survivor with any needs she may have.

The Penn Police have joined with Counseling and Psychological Services and the Office of the Vice Provost of University Life to host two debriefing sessions, one on Monday and one yesterday, for other students involved in the English Language Program. The events were both well-attended, according to Rush.

Rush said that worried students and fellow Sheraton residents have had "an absolutely natural reaction after an event such as this, and obviously, they are concerned about their safety."

Though in years past the hotel has been used for undergraduate housing overflow, the only students currently housed in the Sheraton are those participating in the English Language Program. It is common for such part-time programs to utilize the hotel's services due to its space availability and proximity to campus.

The English Language Program, designed to provide courses in English as a non-native language, maintains two special floors at the Sheraton dedicated to student housing. The program plans to keep their students at the hotel, though a student can opt to leave.

Because language barriers may exist, the English Language Program is maintaining a staff of interpreters 24 hours a day to deal with student concerns.

According to University spokeswoman Phyllis Holtzman, there have been no other serious incidents at the hotel during the years the University has been utilizing its services.

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